U.S. patent application number 16/248859 was filed with the patent office on 2019-05-16 for methods and apparatuses for separating discrete articles from continuous webs.
The applicant listed for this patent is The Procter & Gamble Company. Invention is credited to Chad BURNETT, Todd M. FEGELMAN, Michael Devin LONG, Jeffry ROSIAK, Paul Gerald TIETTMEYER.
Application Number | 20190142650 16/248859 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 60051580 |
Filed Date | 2019-05-16 |
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United States Patent
Application |
20190142650 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LONG; Michael Devin ; et
al. |
May 16, 2019 |
METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR SEPARATING DISCRETE ARTICLES FROM
CONTINUOUS WEBS
Abstract
Methods of separating discrete articles from continuous webs are
disclosed. The methods use a separation assembly. The present
disclosure further includes a cutting assembly and a pair of
cutting rolls for use in the separation assembly.
Inventors: |
LONG; Michael Devin;
(Springfield Township, OH) ; FEGELMAN; Todd M.;
(Wyoming, OH) ; BURNETT; Chad; (Cincinnati,
OH) ; ROSIAK; Jeffry; (Loveland, OH) ;
TIETTMEYER; Paul Gerald; (Harrison, OH) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
The Procter & Gamble Company |
Cincinnati |
OH |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
60051580 |
Appl. No.: |
16/248859 |
Filed: |
January 16, 2019 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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15716548 |
Sep 27, 2017 |
10226386 |
|
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16248859 |
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62402129 |
Sep 30, 2016 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
83/346 ;
83/13 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B26D 11/00 20130101;
A61F 13/15764 20130101; B26D 1/62 20130101; A61F 13/15723 20130101;
B26D 1/405 20130101; A61F 13/49011 20130101; B26D 5/26 20130101;
B26D 7/26 20130101; B65H 35/08 20130101; B65H 35/008 20130101 |
International
Class: |
A61F 13/15 20060101
A61F013/15; B26D 11/00 20060101 B26D011/00; B26D 1/40 20060101
B26D001/40; B26D 7/26 20060101 B26D007/26 |
Claims
1. A cutting assembly for separating absorbent articles from
continuous webs of absorbent articles, the cutting assembly
comprising: a frame; a first cutting roll rotatably positioned on
the frame, wherein the first cutting roll comprises a first cutting
device; a second cutting roll rotatably positioned on the frame,
wherein the second cutting roll comprises a second cutting device;
wherein the first cutting roll has a different diameter than the
second cutting roll; a drive mechanism configured to rotate the
first cutting roll and/or the second cutting roll; and a shifter,
wherein the shifter is configured to move the first cutting roll
between an online position and an offline position, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the second cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
2. The cutting assembly of claim 1, comprising a third cutting roll
rotatable positioned on the frame, wherein the third cutting roll
comprises a third cutting device, wherein the drive mechanism is
configured to rotate the third cutting roll, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the third cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
3. The cutting assembly of claim 2, wherein the third cutting roll
has a different diameter than the first cutting roll and the second
cutting roll.
4. The cutting assembly of claim 2, wherein the third cutting roll
has the same diameter as the first cutting roll or the second
cutting roll.
5. The cutting assembly of claim 2, comprising a fourth cutting
roll rotatably positioned on the frame, wherein the drive mechanism
is configured to rotate the fourth cutting roll, wherein the fourth
cutting roll comprises a fourth cutting device, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the fourth cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
6. The cutting assembly of claim 5, wherein the fourth cutting roll
has a different diameter as the first cutting roll, the second
cutting roll, and/or the third cutting roll.
7. The cutting assembly of claim 1, wherein the first cutting roll
comprises a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, wherein a
first bearing member is positioned intermediate the first bearing
ring and a first portion of the first cutting roll, and wherein a
second bearing member is positioned intermediate the second bearing
ring and a second portion of the first cutting roll.
8. A cutting assembly for separating absorbent articles from
continuous webs of absorbent articles, the cutting assembly
comprising: a frame; a first cutting roll rotatably positioned on
the frame, wherein the first cutting roll comprises a first cutting
device; a second cutting roll rotatably positioned on the frame,
wherein the second cutting roll comprises a second cutting device;
a third cutting roll rotatable positioned on the frame, wherein the
third cutting roll comprises a third cutting device; wherein the
first cutting roll has a different diameter than the second cutting
roll; a drive mechanism configured to rotate the first cutting
roll, the second cutting roll, and/or the third cutting roll; and a
shifter, wherein the shifter is configured to move the first
cutting roll between an online position and an offline position,
wherein the shifter is configured to move the second cutting roll
between the offline position and an online position, and wherein
the shifter is configured to move the third cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
9. The cutting assembly of claim 8, wherein the third cutting roll
has a different diameter than the first cutting roll and the second
cutting roll.
10. The cutting assembly of claim 8, wherein the third cutting roll
has the same diameter as the first cutting roll or the second
cutting roll.
11. The cutting assembly of claim 8, comprising a fourth cutting
roll rotatably positioned on the frame, wherein the drive mechanism
is configured to rotate the fourth cutting roll, wherein the fourth
cutting roll comprises a fourth cutting device, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the fourth cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
12. The cutting assembly of claim 11, wherein the fourth cutting
roll has a different diameter as the first cutting roll, the second
cutting roll, and/or the third cutting roll.
13. The cutting assembly of claim 8, wherein the first cutting roll
comprises a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, wherein a
first bearing member is positioned intermediate the first bearing
ring and a first portion of the first cutting roll, and wherein a
second bearing member is positioned intermediate the second bearing
ring and a second portion of the first cutting roll.
14. A cutting assembly for separating absorbent articles from
continuous webs of absorbent articles, the cutting assembly
comprising: a frame; a first cutting roll rotatably positioned on
the frame, wherein the first cutting roll comprises a first cutting
device; a second cutting roll rotatably positioned on the frame,
wherein the second cutting roll comprises a second cutting device;
wherein the first cutting roll has a different diameter than the
second cutting roll; a drive mechanism configured to rotate the
first cutting roll and/or the second cutting roll; and a shifter,
wherein the shifter is configured to move the first cutting roll
between an online position and an offline position, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the second cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position. wherein the first cutting
roll comprises a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring,
wherein a first bearing member is positioned intermediate the first
bearing ring and a first portion of the first cutting roll, and
wherein a second bearing member is positioned intermediate the
second bearing ring and a second portion of the first cutting
roll.
15. The cutting assembly of claim 14, comprising a third cutting
roll rotatable positioned on the frame, wherein the third cutting
roll comprises a third cutting device, wherein the drive mechanism
is configured to rotate the third cutting roll, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the third cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
16. The cutting assembly of claim 15, wherein the third cutting
roll has a different diameter than the first cutting roll and the
second cutting roll.
17. The cutting assembly of claim 15, wherein the third cutting
roll has the same diameter as the first cutting roll or the second
cutting roll.
18. The cutting assembly of claim 15, comprising a fourth cutting
roll rotatably positioned on the frame, wherein the drive mechanism
is configured to rotate the fourth cutting roll, wherein the fourth
cutting roll comprises a fourth cutting device, and wherein the
shifter is configured to move the fourth cutting roll between an
offline position and an online position.
19. The cutting assembly of claim 18, wherein the fourth cutting
roll has a different diameter as the first cutting roll, the second
cutting roll, and/or the third cutting roll.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of, and claims priority
under 35 U.S.C. .sctn. 120 to, U.S. patent application Ser. No.
15/716,548, filed on Sep. 27, 2017, which claims the benefit, under
35 U.S.C. .sctn. 119(e), of U.S. Provisional Patent Application
Ser. No. 62/402,129, filed on Sep. 30, 2016, which are both hereby
incorporated by reference in their entirety.
FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure is directed to methods and
apparatuses for separating discrete articles from continuous
webs.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Articles, such as absorbent articles, are sometimes produced
on a continuous manufacturing line. Initially, a continuous base
web may be conveyed down the manufacturing line and various
components may be added to it. At the point in the manufacturing
line where the articles are in final form, or a semi-finished form,
it may be desirable to separate discrete articles from the
continuous webs so that they can be processed for packaging or
further manufacturing, for example. Typically, an anvil roll is
paired with a cutting roll having a knife to cut the continuous
webs. When articles, such as pants, especially larger pants (e.g.,
adult incontinence pants), are run through a nip between the anvil
roll and the cutting roll, the articles may have a tendency to fold
over themselves in various portions. This may be caused by
contraction of elastics or snap-back (post-cutting) of elastics in
elasticized belts of these pant articles. In other instances, this
may be caused by merely the large size of the articles (e.g.,
bigger crotch regions outside of the cutting area). Elasticized
belts and/or larger sized articles may be difficult to control with
vacuum alone. Furthermore, in the conventional anvil roll/cutting
roll set-up, the cutting roll and/or anvil roll is usually changed
out each time a different size (or pitch) of article is desired to
be cut. For example, when running a first article with a pitch
(i.e., machine direction length) of 200 mm, the cutting roll and/or
the anvil are usually changed out to run a second article with a
pitch of 300 mm. This can lead to costly downtime. Furthermore,
conventional anvil roll/cutting rolls assemblies have a problem
with roll parallelism and center-to-center distances which may
cause issues with cuts or separation of the continuous webs.
[0004] In view of the foregoing, methods and apparatuses for
separating discrete articles from a web of the articles should be
improved.
SUMMARY
[0005] The methods and apparatuses for separating discrete articles
from a continuous web provided by the present disclosure overcome
the disadvantages of the conventional anvil roll/cutting roll
separation systems. First, one or more hold down belts are provided
about portions of a radial outer surface of the anvil roll to
maintain control of elastics and/or nose portions (e.g., crotch
portions) of the articles, especially larger articles (e.g., adult
incontinence articles). In this fashion, vacuum is not solely
relied upon to hold the articles in a flat, laid out state pre- and
post-cutting. In some instances, vacuum may only be turned on, or
may apply a greater fluid pressure to the articles, in a separation
zone. The hold down belts may reduce elastic contraction, thereby
reducing portions of the articles from folding over themselves. The
hold down belts may also at least partially control elastic
"snap-back" post-cutting. In some instances, two hold down belts
may be provided; one on each side of a separation zone or in a zone
where cutting occurs.
[0006] Second, to eliminate the issue of anvil roll and cutting
roll parallelism, center-to-center distances, and speed mis-matches
between the anvil roll and the cutting roll, the anvil roll of the
present disclosure or the cutting roll of the present disclosure
may be provided with a bearer ring that floats on one or more
bearing members, such as bearings or a bearing surface. Thus, the
floating bearer ring may be driven by the roll not comprising the
bearer ring, thereby leading to high roll parallelism and
center-to-center distances while also accounting for roll speed
mismatches between the anvil roll and the cutting roll. The roll
not comprising the floating bearer ring may comprise a fixed bearer
ring configured to engage the floating bearer ring and drive it at
the same speed as the driven roll not containing the floating
bearer ring. The roll comprising the floating bearer ring may be
independently driven relative to the floating bearer ring. This
allows the roll comprising the floating bearer ring to be driven
faster or slower than the floating bearer ring, thereby allowing
multiple sizes of products to be cut using the same anvil roll and
cutting roll, while matching the speed of the floating bearer ring
with the roll without the floating bearer ring.
[0007] As an example, the present disclosure provides a system that
has a floating bearer ring on the cutting roll and a fixed bearer
ring on the anvil roll. The floating bearer ring is driven by the
fixed bearer ring on the anvil independent of the rotational speed
of the cutting roll. Therefore, the cutting roll may be rotated
faster or slower than the rotation of the floating bearer ring.
This allows for the cutting roll's rotation to be sped up or slowed
down depending on the pitch of the article being cut, while also
makes the anvil roll essentially "pitchless" since the speed of the
cutting roll determines were cuts will be made. This further
provides for high precision on center-to-center distances and high
roll parallelism owing to the bearing rings. These two features
significantly improve discrete article separation.
[0008] As another example, the present disclosure provides a
cutting assembly that has multiple cutting rolls rotatably engaged
with a frame, wherein a first cutting roll having a first diameter
may be moved between an online position (i.e., cutting position)
and a second offline position (i.e., not in a cutting position),
and wherein a second cutting roll having a second, different
diameter may be moved between the online position and the second
offline position. Any number of cutting rolls may be provided on
the frame depending on the desired cutting circumstances. The frame
may be positioned proximate to the anvil roll of the present
disclosure so that a first cutting roll may easily be moved from an
online position to an offline position and a second, different
cutting roll may be moved from an offline position to an online
position, for example. This cutting assembly may be desirable when
changing sizes or pitches of articles to be cut. The cutting
assembly also allows for significantly reduced change out
times.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] While the specification concludes with claims particularly
pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which is
regarded as forming the present invention, it is believed that the
present disclosure will be better understood from the following
description which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings in which the designations are used to designate
substantially identical elements and in which:
[0010] FIG. 1 is a right side perspective view of an example
separation assembly of the present disclosure;
[0011] FIG. 2 is an exploded right side perspective view of the
example separation assembly of FIG. 1;
[0012] FIG. 3 is an illustration of a continuous web of articles
with elastic contraction pulled-out that may be separated into
discrete articles using the separation assembly of the present
disclosure;
[0013] FIG. 4 is a simplified example pair of rolls, including an
anvil roll and a cutting roll, that may be used as a component of
the separation assembly of the present disclosure;
[0014] FIG. 4A is another simplified example pair of rolls,
including an anvil roll and a cutting roll, that may be used a
component of the separation assembly of the present disclosure;
[0015] FIG. 4B is another simplified example pair of rolls,
including an anvil roll and a cutting roll, that may be used a
component of the separation assembly of the present disclosure;
[0016] FIG. 4C is a simplified example pair of rolls, including an
anvil roll and a cutting roll, that may be used as a component of
the separation assembly of the present disclosure;
[0017] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional example view of the anvil roll,
taken about line 5-5 of FIG. 4;
[0018] FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional example view of the cutting
roll, taken about line 6-6 of FIG. 4;
[0019] FIG. 6A is another cross-sectional example view of the
cutting roll, taken about line 6-6 of FIG. 4;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a front view of the separation assembly of the
present disclosure showing an example hold down belt path, with
various components of the separation assembly removed for
clarity;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a left side perspective view of the hold down belt
path of FIG. 7;
[0022] FIG. 9 is another left side perspective view of the hold
down belt path of FIG. 7;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a cutting assembly of the
separation assembly of FIG. 1;
[0024] FIG. 11 is a front view of the cutting assembly of FIG.
10;
[0025] FIG. 12 is a left side view of the cutting assembly of FIG.
10;
[0026] FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of an example absorbent
article in the form of a pant that may be separated from a
continuous web by the separation assembly;
[0027] FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the example absorbent
article of FIG. 13;
[0028] FIG. 15 is a plan view of a pant, laid flat, with a
garment-facing surface facing the viewer;
[0029] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of a front belt portion of
the pant taken about line 16-16 of FIG. 15; and
[0030] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a back belt portion of
the pant taken about line 17-17 of FIG. 15.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0031] Various non-limiting forms of the present disclosure will
now be described to provide an overall understanding of the
principles of the structure, function, manufacture, and use of the
methods and apparatuses for separating discrete articles from
continuous webs disclosed herein. One or more examples of these
non-limiting forms are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the methods
and apparatuses for separating discrete articles from continuous
webs specifically described herein and illustrated in the
accompanying drawings are non-limiting example forms and that the
scope of the various non-limiting forms of the present disclosure
are defined solely by the claims. The features illustrated or
described in connection with one non-limiting form may be combined
with the features of other non-limiting forms. Such modifications
and variations are intended to be included within the scope of the
present disclosure.
[0032] The term "absorbent article(s)" is used herein to refer to
consumer products whose primary function is to absorb and retain
bodily exudates and wastes. Absorbent articles as used herein may
refer to pants or adult incontinence pants, for example, or other
suitable absorbent articles.
[0033] The term "machine direction" (MD) is used herein to refer to
the primary direction of material, web, or article flow through a
process. In various manufacturing and converting processes, such as
a bi-fold process, it may be possible to have more than one machine
direction when an article is undergoing simultaneous processes. In
other words, a manufacturing line may have an overall machine
direction, but a material or an article may travel in directions
other than the overall machine direction as it passes through
various processes along the manufacturing line. For example, a
discrete article having a trailing end portion and a leading end
portion, each portion being attached to the surface of a different
roll and/or conveyor may travel in two different directions
simultaneously. In this example, both directions of travel may be
considered the machine direction.
[0034] The term "cross direction" (CD) is used herein to refer to a
direction that is generally perpendicular to the machine
direction.
[0035] The term "pant" refers herein to disposable absorbent
articles having a continuous perimeter waist opening and continuous
perimeter leg openings designed for infant, child, or adult
wearers. A pant may be configured with a continuous or closed waist
opening and at least one continuous, closed, leg opening prior to
the article being applied to the wearer. A pant may be preformed by
various techniques including, but not limited to, joining together
portions of the absorbent article using any refastenable and/or
permanent closure member (e.g., seams, heat bonds, pressure welds,
adhesives, cohesive bonds, mechanical fasteners, etc.). A pant may
be preformed anywhere along the circumference of the absorbent
article in the waist region (e.g., side fastened or seamed, front
waist fastened or seamed, rear waist fastened or seamed). A pant
may be opened about one or both of the side seams and then
refastened. Example pants in various configurations are disclosed
in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,246,433, 5,569,234, 6,120,487, 6,120,489,
4,940,464, 5,092,861, 5,897,545, 5,957,908, and U.S. Patent
Publication No. 2003/0233082.
[0036] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an example separation assembly
10 is illustrated. FIG. 2 is a partially separated view of the
separation assembly of FIG. 1 to show additional details of the
various components. The separation assembly 10 is configured to
receive a continuous web at arrow A in FIG. 1 and output a
plurality of discrete articles at arrow B. Referring to FIG. 3, the
continuous web 12 may comprise absorbent articles 14 in the form of
pants, for example. In this instance, the continuous web 12 may be
conveyed toward, and partially through the separation assembly 10
in the non-separated form illustrated in FIG. 3. The continuous web
12 may then be separated by the separation assembly 10 into a
plurality of discrete articles 14, at the locations indicated by
dashed lines 13 in FIG. 3. The continuous web 12 is conveyed
through the separation assembly 10 in the machine direction, MD
(see arrow in FIG. 3). The continuous web 12 may comprise a
plurality of articles 14, or absorbent articles, that have not yet
been separated about their side seams. The continuous webs 12 may
also comprise portions of articles, portions of absorbent articles,
or other substrates in need of separation. Areas proximate to the
side seams may have bonds 15 that join the front and rear portions
of the articles. The separation assembly 10 is configured to
separate the continuous web 12 about their side seams. Each article
14, or portion thereof, in the continuous web 12 may comprise a
plurality of the elastic elements 16, such as elastic strands.
These elastic elements 16 are configured to retract a waist band of
the absorbent articles so that the articles can remain around a
waist of a wearer. In the continuous web 12, the elastic elements
16 are continuous from one article 14 to another article 14. When
the continuous web 12 is conveyed into and through the separation
assembly 10, the elastic forces in the elastic elements 16 are
stretched out so that the continuous web 12 lays flat on the
various surfaces of the separation assembly 10. The elastic forces
may be stretched out by the machine direction tension placed on the
continuous web 12, for example.
[0037] Again referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the continuous web 12,
upon entering the separation assembly 10, is run over one or more
drums 18 to reorient the continuous web 12 and allow the continuous
web 12 to engage the anvil roll 20 far enough upstream before the
separation zone 46 to allow the anvil roll 20 to gain solid control
of the continuous web 12. Since pant products, especially adult
incontinence pants, may be quite large when the elastic elements 16
are stretched out, it is desirable to gain adequate control of the
continuous web 12 on the anvil roll 20 prior to cutting the
continuous web 12 in the separation zone 46. This enables cutting
at the proper locations with accurate cuts. The continuous web 12
may be controlled through the use of vacuum in the drums 18, the
anvil roll 20, and/or through the use of one or more hold down
belts. The hold down belts will be described in further detail
below. The continuous webs 12 may also be controlled through the
use of high pressure air blown towards the continuous webs 12 on
the drums 18 and/or the anvil roll 20, for example. This high
pressure air may be used with or without vacuum.
[0038] Referring to FIG. 4, a pair of rolls comprising an example
cutting roll 22 and anvil roll 20 is illustrated. The cutting roll
22 may rotate about a first axis of rotation 24 in the direction
indicated by arrow C and the anvil roll 20 may rotate about a
second axis of rotation 26 in the direction indicated by arrow D.
The first axis of rotation 24 may be parallel to, or generally
parallel to (e.g., +/-1 degrees, +/-2 degrees, +/-3 degrees), to
the second axis of rotation 26. The cutting rolls discussed herein
may have the configuration illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, wherein
the cutting roll is positioned on and fixed to a rotating drive
shaft. The cutting roll 22 comprises a first radial outer surface
30. One or more cutting devices 28, such as knife bars, extend from
the radial outer surface 30 of the cutting roll 22. As an example,
the cutting devices 28 may have a square or rectangular
cross-sectional profile, such that the four corners of the square
or rectangle each may have a knife surface or cutting surface. As
such, when one knife surface wears, an operator may remove the
cutting device and rotate it (e.g., 90 degree rotation) such that a
new, sharp knife surface is available for cutting. Here, four knife
surfaces may be housed in one cutting device. Any suitable cutting
devices are also within the scope of the present disclosure,
including others that have different cross-sectional shapes. In
FIG. 4 an example article 14 is illustrated on the anvil roll 20 to
illustrate how the anvil members 40 would be aligned with the areas
of the article 14 to be cut. Before contact with the cutting roll
22, although a single article is shown for illustration, a
continuous web requiring separation would be present.
[0039] Referring to FIGS. 1, 4, and 6, the cutting roll 22 may have
distal portions. The distal portions may comprise bearer rings 32
extending radially outwardly from the first radial outer surface 30
(FIGS. 4 and 6) or extending more radially outwardly relative to
the first axis of rotation 24 than the first radial outer surface
30 (FIG. 1). Note in FIG. 1, the bearer rings 32 do not extend
radially outwardly from the first radial outer surface 30, but
instead are separate from the first radial outer surface 30 on
distal ends of the cutting roll 22. Here, the bearer rings 32
extending more radially outwardly, relative to the first rotation
axis 24, than the first radial outer surface 30 of the cutting roll
22. The bearer rings 32, in either configuration, may extend more,
or less radially, relative to the first axis of rotation 24, than
the cutting devices 28. In other instances, the bearer rings 32 may
extend the same, or substantially the same, distance radially,
relative to the first axis of rotation 24, as the cutting devices
28.
[0040] Referring to FIGS. 1, 4, 6, and 6A, the bearer rings 32 may
each comprise a second radial outer surface 34. In a first
configuration, the bearer rings 32 may be fixedly attached to the
first radial outer surface 30 or a portion of the cutting roll 22.
In a second configuration, the bearer rings 32 may be rotatably
attached to the first radial outer surface 30 or a portion of the
cutting roll 22. An example of such rotatable attachment is to
position bearing members, such as bearing 36 (FIG. 6) or one or
more bearing surfaces 36' (FIG. 6A), for example, intermediate the
first radial outer surface 30 of the cutting roll 22 or another
portion of the cutting roll 22 and the surfaces of the bearer rings
32 facing the first radial outer surface 30 or facing the portion
of the cutting roll 22. In such an instance, the bearer rings 32
are free to rotate about the first axis of rotation 24 of the
cutting roll 22, independent of the portion of the cutting roll 22
comprising the one or more cutting devices 28. As such, the bearer
rings 32 may be rotated about the first axis of rotation 24 by a
portion of the anvil roll 20, as will be discussed below, at a
first speed, while the portion of the cutting roll 22 comprising
the one or more cutting devices 28 may be driven independently so
that it rotates about the first axis of rotation 24 a second,
different speed. The second, different speed may be faster or
slower than the first speed. In other instances, the first and
second speed may be the same. These bearer rings 32 with bearing
members may be referred to herein as "floating bearer rings". The
cutting devices 28 may be at least as long as the required cut
length and may be positioned intermediate the bearer rings 32. In
some instances, the cutting roll 22 may not comprise the bearer
rings 32 and instead, a radial outer surface of a floating bearer
ring on the anvil roll 20 may contact the cutting roll 22.
[0041] The anvil roll 20 rotating about the second axis of rotation
26 may comprise a third radial outer surface 38. A plurality of
angularly spaced anvil members 40 may extend outwardly from the
third radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll 20. Instead of the
plurality of angularly spaced anvil members 40, the anvil member
may be continuous sheet or plate that surrounds the third radial
outer surface 38 or forms a portion of the third radial outer
surface 38, as will be described in further detail below. The anvil
members 40 may be configured to receive the knife surfaces thereon
to cut the continuous web 12. All of the anvil members 40, or all
of the portions of the continuous anvil member, may not be
contacted by a knife surface during separation of an article from
the continuous web 12 depending on the article's desired pitch. If
a smaller desired pitch is required, more anvil members 40 may be
contacted by the knife surfaces during one revolution of the anvil
roll 20. If a larger desired pitch is required, less anvil members
40 may contacted by the knife surfaces during one revolution of the
anvil roll 20. The position of contact of the knife surfaces on the
anvil members 40 may be adjusted across an outer portion of the
anvil members 40 to evenly distribute wear on the anvil members 40.
For instance, the knife surfaces may be operated to contact a
leading portion of the anvil members 40 for a shift of production
(e.g., 8 hours) and, then, for a second shift of production, the
knife surfaces may be operated to contact a middle portion of, or
another portion of, the anvil members 40 to distribute anvil member
wear evenly. This adjustment may also help ensure a sufficient and
clean cut between the knife surfaces and the anvil members 40. For
a non-walking pitch, the knife surfaces may contact different anvil
members 40 to distribute wear evenly on the various anvil members
40. The anvil members 40 may be longer than, shorter than, or the
same length as, the cutting devices 28.
[0042] The anvil roll 20 may comprise distal portions (in a cross
machine direction). Bearer rings 42 may be present in the distal
portions and may surround the third radial outer surface 38 of the
anvil roll 20. The bearer rings 42 may be fixedly attached to the
third radial outer surface 38 such that the bearer rings 42 rotate
in unison with the anvil roll 20 about the second axis of rotation
26. In other configurations, the bearer rings 42 may be rotatably
attached to the third radial outer surface 38 such that they may be
rotated independently about the second axis of rotation 26 relative
to the rotation of the anvil roll 20. The bearer rings 42 may have
a fourth radial outer surface 43 configured to engage the second
radial outer surface 34 of the bearer rings 32.
[0043] In an example, the bearer rings 32 on the cutting roll 22
may float on one or more bearing members, such as bearings 36,
while the bearer rings 42 on the anvil roll 20 may be fixedly
attached to the anvil roll 20. In such an instance, the floating
bearer rings 32 may be rotated independently of a driven portion of
the cutting roll 20 comprising the cutting devices 28, while the
fixed bearer rings 42 may rotate in unison with the anvil roll 20.
When the second radial outer surface 34 of the bearer rings 32 is
brought into contact with the fourth radial outer surface 43 of the
bearer rings 42, the bearer rings 42 drive the rotation of the
bearer rings 32. This allows for the bearer rings 32 to be rotated
at the same speed as the bearer rings 42 and eliminates or reduces
mismatched speed of the two sets of bearer rings, thereby reducing
bearer ring wear. This also allows for independent rotational speed
control of the portion of the cutting roll 22 comprising the
cutting devices 28. As such, the portion of the cutting roll 22
comprising the cutting devices 28 may be rotated at a faster speed
or a slower speed (or at the same speed), relative to the bearer
rings 32, depending on the desired pitch of the articles being
separated from the continuous web 12. The faster the cutting roll
22 is rotated, the smaller the pitch of the separated article will
be. The slower the cutting roll 22 is rotated, the larger the pitch
of the separated articles will be. The above two sentences assume
constant speed rotation of the anvil roll 20, although the speed of
rotation of the anvil roll 20 may also be varied.
[0044] In another example, the bearer rings 42 on the anvil roll 20
may float on bearing members, while the bearer rings 32 on the
cutting roll 22 may be fixedly attached to the cutting roll 22. In
such an instance, the floating bearer rings 42 may be rotated
independent of the anvil roll 20, while the fixed bearer rings 32
may rotate in unison with the cutting roll 22. When the second
radial outer surface 34 of the bearer rings 32 is brought into
contact with the fourth radial outer surface 43 of the bearer rings
42, the bearer rings 32 drive the rotation of the bearer rings 42.
This allows for the bearer rings 42 to be rotated at the same speed
as the bearer rings 32 and eliminates or reduces mismatched speed
of the two sets of bearer rings, thereby reducing bearer ring wear.
This also allows for independent rotational speed control of the
anvil roll 20. As such, the anvil roll 20 may be rotated at a
faster speed, a slower speed, or the same speed, relative to the
bearer rings 42, depending on the desired pitch of the articles
being separated from the continuous web 12. The faster the anvil
roll 20 is rotated, the smaller the pitch of the separated article
will be. The slower the anvil roll 20 is rotated, the larger the
pitch of the separated articles will be. The above two sentences
assume constant speed rotation of the cutting roll 22, although the
speed of rotation of the cutting roll 22 may also be varied.
[0045] In another example, the bearer rings 42 on the anvil roll 20
may float on bearing members, while the bearer rings 32 on the
cutting roll 22 may also float on bearing members. In such an
instance, the floating bearer rings 32 and 42 may not rotate at all
when the second radial outer surface 34 of the bearer rings 32 is
brought into contact with the fourth radial outer surface 43 of the
bearer rings 42. In such an instance, the anvil roll 20 may rotate
independently of the bearer rings 42 and the cutting roll 22 may
rotate independent of the bearer rings 32. In this configuration,
the bearer rings 42 on the anvil roll 20 may not rotate and the
bearer rings 32 may not rotate. Here, the bearer rings 42 and 32
may be used to merely set and maintain constant the nip distance
between the cutting devices 28 and the anvil surfaces or the anvil
members 40.
[0046] The bearer rings 32 on the cutting roll 22 may extend a
first distance from first axis of rotation, while the bearer rings
42 on the anvil roll 20 may extend a second distance from the first
axis of rotation. The first distance may be the same as, greater
than, or less than the second distance.
[0047] Referring to FIG. 4A, bearing rings 42' on the anvil roll 20
may extend radially outwardly, relative to the third radial outer
surface 38, from the second axis of rotation 26 further than the
bearer rings 42 of FIG. 4. Bearer rings 32' on the cutting roll 22
may be radially recessed into, or from, the first radial outer
surface 30 of the cutting roll 22. In such an instance, the bearer
rings 42' may engage the bearer rings 32' at a location recessed
with respect to the first radial outer surface 30 of the cutting
roll 20. The remaining features of FIG. 4A may be the same as
described with respect to FIG. 4 and are not described again here
for brevity.
[0048] Referring to FIG. 4B, bearing rings 32'' on the cutting roll
20 may extend radially outwardly, relative to the first radial
outer surface 30, from the first axis of rotation 24 further than
the bearer rings 32 of FIG. 4. Bearer rings 42'' on the anvil roll
20 may be radially recessed into, or from, the third radial outer
surface 38 of the anvil roll 20. In such an instance, the bearer
rings 32'' may engage the bearer rings 42'' at a location recessed
with respect to the third radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll
20. The remaining features of FIG. 4B may be the same as described
with respect to FIG. 4 and are not described again here for
brevity.
[0049] Referring to FIG. 4C, the anvil surfaces may be a continuous
member 41. The continuous member 41 may extending radially
outwardly from a portion of the third radial outer surface 38 of
the anvil roll 20, may form a portion of the third radial outer
surface 38 (i.e., be flush with a portion of the third radial outer
surface 38), or may be recessed with respect to a portion of the
third radial outer surface 38. The continuous member 41 may fully
surround, or partially surround, a portion of the anvil roll 20.
The remaining features of FIG. 4C may be the same as described with
respect to FIG. 4 and are not described again here for brevity. The
various bearer rings may be any of those described herein.
[0050] The various bearer rings and radial outer surfaces may be
referred to as the first, second third, fourth, fifth etc. in the
claims depending on the order in which they are recited.
[0051] Various hold down belts that may be used in the separation
assembly 10 are now discussed. These hold down belts are
illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 7-9 with various components of the
separation assembly 10 removed for clarity in viewing the hold down
belt path. Portions of the hold down belts are also viewable in
FIG. 1 without the various components removed.
[0052] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 7-9, the pair of rolls
comprising the anvil roll 20 and the cutting roll 22 of the
separation assembly 10 may also comprise various hold down belts.
The hold down belts may comprise a first hold down belt 44 on a
first side of a separation zone 46 and a second hold down belt 48
on a second side of the separation zone 46. The first hold down
belt 44 may wrap at least partially around the drums 18 and a
portion of the anvil roll 20 on a first side of the separation zone
46. The first hold down belt 44 may be driven by the drums,
separate motors, or by other suitable drive mechanisms known to
those of skill in the art. The first hold down belt 44 may be
configured to hold down the nose portions 50 (or bi-folded crotch
regions) (see FIG. 3) of articles 14 of the continuous web 12
(pre-separation). The nose portion 50 may be sandwiched between the
first hold down belt 44 and portions of radial outer surfaces of
the drums 18 and a first portion of the third radial outer surface
38 of the anvil roll 20. The first hold down belt 44 may be
positioned inwardly (cross machine direction) of the bearer rings
42 of the anvil roll 20, but outwardly (cross machine direction)
from the cutting devices 28 of the cutting roll 22 so as to not
interfere with the bearer rings 42 or be cut by the cutting devices
28. In absorbent article products, especially pant products, nose
control has been a problem during processing, especially during
processing through a separation assembly. This problem is sometimes
exacerbated in larger absorbent article products, such as adult
incontinence pants, for example, owing to their larger size.
Therefore, the first hold down belt 44 is provided to maintain
control of the nose portions 50 of the continuous web 12 being
processed to enable improved separation of the articles and reduced
nose portion fold over.
[0053] The second hold down belt 48 may be positioned on a second
side of the separation zone 46. The second hold down belt 48 may
function similar to the first hold down belt 44 in holding the nose
portion of the articles (now separated) to a second portion of the
third radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll 20. The second hold
down belt 48 may be driven by the third radial outer surface 38 of
the anvil, another portion of the anvil, by separate motors, or by
other suitable drive mechanisms known to those of skill in the art.
The second hold down belt 48 may be positioned inwardly, in a cross
machine direction, of the bearer rings 42 of the anvil roll 20 but
outwardly, in a cross machine direction, from the cutting devices
28 of the cutting roll 22 so as to not interfere with the bearer
rings 42 or be cut by the cutting devices 28.
[0054] Referring to FIG. 4, vacuum for the nose portions 50 may be
provided through fluid ports 51 defined through a portion of the
third radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll 20 at least in the
separation zone 46 to maintain the nose portions 50 in a flat, laid
out position on the third radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll
20. Stated another way, vacuum may be provided through the fluid
ports 51 in the anvil roll 20 at least intermediate the first and
second hold down belts 44 and 48 to maintain control of the nose
portions 50 through the separation zone 46. Vacuum may be provided
through the fluid ports 51 using any fluid movement systems known
to those of skill in the art. This vacuum may be provided anywhere
the nose portions 50 contact the third radial outer surface 38 in
some instances and not just in the separation zone 46. High
pressure air may be blown toward the anvil roll 20 in various
locations to maintain the continuous web 12 against the third
radial outer surface 38. The high pressure air may be used with or
without vacuum.
[0055] Again referring to FIG. 4, vacuum may also be provided
through fluid ports 53 defined in a portion of the radial outer
surface 38 of the anvil roll 20. This vacuum may be configured to
maintain the elastic belts 54, and potentially other portions of
the continuous web (or separated articles), in a flat, laid-out
state and prevent, or at least inhibit, elastic contraction and
fold over in portions of the elastic belts 54. The vacuum may be
provided through the fluid ports 53 using any fluid movement
systems known to those of skill in the art. This vacuum may be
provided anywhere the continuous web 12 or the separated articles
10 contact the radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll 20 or may
only be provided in or in and around the separation zone 46. Again,
here, high pressure air may be blown toward the anvil roll 20 in
various locations to maintain the continuous web 12 against the
third radial outer surface 38. The high pressure air may be used
with or without vacuum.
[0056] In addition to the fluid ports 51 and 53 being used to
supply vacuum, they may also be used for providing a positive fluid
pressure, known as "blow off". The fluid ports 51 and 53 may be
supplied with this positive pressure when the discrete articles 14
are being transferred off of the anvil roll 20 to a further
processing step.
[0057] In an instance, only one hold down belt may be provided and
that hold down belt may be on the first side of the separation zone
46, may be on a second side of the separation zone 46, or may
extend from the first side of the separation zone 46, through the
separation zone 46, and to the second side of the separation zone
46. In another instance, the first and second hold down belts 44
and 48 may be provided on opposite sides of the separation zone 46
and a third hold down belt may be provided in or across the
separation zone 46 to maintain control of the articles within the
separation zone 46 during cutting.
[0058] Referring to FIGS. 7-9, a third hold down belt 52 may be
provided on a first side of the separation zone 46. The elastic
belts 54 (see FIG. 3) of the continuous web 12 may be sandwiched
between the third hold down belt 52 and a first portion of the
third radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll 20 on the first
side of the separation zone 46. The third hold down belt 52 may be
driven by the radial outer surface 38 of the anvil roll 20, by
separate motors, or by other suitable drive mechanisms known to
those of skill in the art. The third hold down belt 52 may help
maintain the elastics belts 54 in a stretched out, flat state
before the articles 14 are separated from the continuous web 12 in
the separation zone 46. Controlling these elastic belts 54 before
separation is important to achieve accurate cutting and preventing,
or at least inhibit, portions of the continuous web 12 from folding
over themselves. Controlling the elastic belts 54 is also important
to maintain the noses 50 in position and to prevent, or at least
inhibit, elastic element 16 snap-back post-separation.
[0059] A fourth hold down belt 56 may be provided on a second side
of the separation zone 46. The elastic belts 54 (see FIG. 3) of the
separated articles 14 may be sandwiched between the third hold down
belt 52 and a second portion of the third radial outer surface 38
of the anvil roll 20 on the second side of the separation zone 46.
The fourth hold down belt 56 may be driven by the radial outer
surface 38 of the anvil roll 20, by separate motors, or by other
suitable drive mechanisms known to those of skill in the art. The
fourth hold down belt 56 may help reduce elastic "snap-back" after
the articles 14 are separated from the continuous web 12 in the
separation zone 46. Controlling these elastic belts 54 after
separation is important for proper processing of the articles to
prevent, or at least inhibit, portions of the elastics belts 54
from folding over themselves or other portions of the articles.
Controlling the elastic belts 54 is also important to maintain the
noses 50 in position and to prevent, or at least inhibit, elastic
element 16 snap-back post-separation.
[0060] Any of the various hold down belts may comprise belt
tensioners to maintain tension in the belt, as is generally known
to those of skill in the art. In the claims, the hold down belts
may be referred to as the first, second third, fourth etc.
depending on the order in which they are referred to.
[0061] In some instances, the pair of rolls comprising the anvil
roll 20 and the cutting roll 22 of the separation assembly may be
used without one or more of the above described hold down
belts.
[0062] It may be desirable for the separation assembly to have more
than one cutting roll, such as two, three, four, or five cutting
rolls, for example. Multiple cutting rolls are illustrated in FIGS.
1 and 2. The various cutting rolls may be mounted on a frame
positioned adjacent to the anvil roll 20. The cutting rolls may
have different diameters to cut different pitches of articles 14 in
conjunction with the anvil roll 20 from the continuous web 12. In
some instances, two or more of the cutting rolls may have the same
diameter such that one may be used as a spare, for example. The
multiple cutting rolls may be the same as the cutting roll 22, with
the exception, in some instances, of diameter differences. By
providing multiple cutting rolls, the same anvil roll may be used,
in conjunction with one of the cutting rolls, to cut different
pitches of articles without change-outs. Stated another way, the
separation assembly may essentially be "pitchless" or not limited
to only cutting one pitch of articles.
[0063] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 10-12 multiple cutting rolls
22, 22', 22'', mounted on a frame 60 may be referred to as cutting
assembly 58. FIGS. 10-12 illustrate views of the cutting assembly
58 with various pieces of the separation assembly 10 removed for
clarity. The cutting assembly 58 may comprise a first cutting roll
22, a second cutting roll 22', and a third cutting roll 22''. In
one example, the cutting rolls 22, 22', and 22'' may be positioned
120 degrees apart from each other, or other degrees apart from each
other. Each of the cutting rolls may be rotatably positioned on the
frame 60 and may comprise one or more cutting devices, like the
cutting devices 28 described above. At least one of the first,
second, and third cutting rolls 22, 22', and 22'', or the portions
comprising the cutting devices 28, may have a different diameter
than the remaining cutting rolls. All of the cutting rolls 22, 22',
and 22'', or the portions comprising the cutting devices 28, may
have different diameters. In this instance, the cutting rolls 22,
22', and 22'' may each be used to cut at different article pitches.
All of the cutting rolls 22, 22', and 22'', or the portions
comprising the cutting devices 28, may have the same diameters. In
this instance, the cutting rolls 22, 22', and 22'' may be used to
cut at the same article pitches, such that two of the cutting rolls
may be used as spares. A drive mechanism, such as a motor driving a
continuous belt may be used to rotate the cutting rolls. The belt
may be operably engaged with drive shafts 64 of each of the cutting
rolls such that the movement of the belt transmits rotational
energy to the drive shafts 64, which thereby rotates the various
cutting rolls. Portions of the cutting rolls 22, 22', 22''
comprising the cutting devices 28 may be fixed to the drive shafts
64 so that they rotate in unison with the drive shafts 64. In other
instances, a motor may be operably engaged with each drive shaft to
rotate each respective drive shaft, and thereby each respective
cutting roll, independently. The portions of the cutting rolls 22,
22' and 22'' comprising the cutting devices 28 may have different
diameters, while the drive shafts 64 may have the same, or
substantially similar, diameters. This allows the drive shafts 64
to all be driven by the drive mechanism at the same surface speed
but causes the portions of the cutting rolls comprising the cutting
devices to be driven at different surface speeds, owing to their
differing diameters.
[0064] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 10, the various cutting rolls
may each comprise an elongated plate 62 having one or more
elongated portions 68. The elongated plate 62 may have a guitar
pick-like shape, with the elongated portion 68 in general alignment
with a cutting device 28. The elongated plate 62 is positioned
intermediate one of the bearer rings 32 on the cutting roll 22 and
the portion of the cutting roll 22 comprising the one or more
cutting device 28. The elongated plate 62 may be fixedly attached
to the cutting roll 22, so that elongated plate 62 rotates in
unison with the cutting roll 22. The elongated portion 68 extends
more radially outwardly than the remainder of the elongated plate
62 relative to the first axis of rotation 24. The various hold down
belts may have a tendency to "walk". Walk is movement of a belt in
the cross-machine direction during rotation of the belt. The
elongated portion 68 acts to prevent, or at least inhibit, the
cutting device 28 from cutting one of the hold down belts. If more
than one cutting device is provided on a single cutting roll, the
elongated plate 62 may have an elongated portion 68 corresponding
to each cutting device to again ensure that the cutting devices do
not cut the hold down belts.
[0065] The various cutting rolls may be moved into and out of an
online position with the anvil roll 20 through the use of a
shifter. Stated another way, one cutting roll may be moved from a
position in which it is proximate to the anvil roll 20 to
accomplish separation of the continuous web 12 to a position in
which it is distal from the anvil roll 20 and does not accomplish
separation. For example, the first cutting roll 22 may be moved
from an online position to an offline position and then (or at the
same time) the second cutting roll 22' may be moved from an offline
position to an online position. The shifter, for example shifter
66, may rotate the cutting rolls in a clockwise or
counter-clockwise direction with respect to the frame 60 to achieve
such movement. In one example, the shifter may be rotated to move
each cutting roll about 120 degrees in a clockwise or
counter-clockwise direction to achieve movement of one cutting roll
from the online position to an offline position and, at the same
time, to achieve movement of another cutting roll from the offline
position into an online position. If two cutting rolls are provided
in the cutting assembly, the shifter 66 may be rotated about 180
degrees, for example. If four cutting rolls are provided in the
cutting assembly, the shifter 66 may be rotated about 90 degrees,
for example. In other instances, the shifter may be a linear
shifter or other suitable shifter. The shifter may be configured to
move the second cutting roll 22' between an online position and an
offline position and then (or at the same time) move the first or
third cutting rolls 22, 22'', respectively, between an offline
position into an online position. The shifter and multiple cutting
rolls of the cutting assembly allows for very fast change over from
cutting at a first article pitch to a second or third (fourth,
fifth etc.) article pitch. In other instances, the cutting rolls
may all be the same (e.g., spares), and they may be shifted into an
out of the online position as the various cutting devices wear out.
Any other type of shifter is also within the scope of the present
disclosure. Once the cutting rolls on the frame are in the desired
position, they may be locked in place with for example, a latch,
locking pin, and/or a braking mechanism, for example.
[0066] Referring to FIG. 12, at the time when it is desired to
change which cutting roll is cooperating with the anvil roll 20 for
separation, the cutting assembly 58 may be moved away from the
anvil roll 20 in the direction of arrow D. The shifter 66 may then
be used to reposition the appropriate cutting device and then the
cutting assembly 58 may be moved back toward the anvil roll 20 in
the direction of arrow E. This movement of the cutting assembly 58
may be accomplished by having the cutting assembly 58 on tracks,
for example. The movement may be accomplished by the use of one or
more actuators, one or more linear actuators, or by human movement,
for example. One the cutting assembly 58 is positioned proximate to
the anvil roll 20, the cutting assembly 58 may be locked in place
using a latch, a locking pin, and/or a braking mechanism, for
example. The position of the anvil roll 20 and a cutting roll 22 of
the cutting assembly 58 may be set by bearer rings. The bearer
rings allows for high anvil roll 20/cutting roll 22 parallelism and
center-to-center distance accuracy. The bearer rings provide
accurate distance setting between the various cutting devices and
the anvil surfaces and/or the anvil members 40.
[0067] Example methods of separating discrete articles from a
continuous web of discrete articles are now described. The various
components (e.g., rolls, bearer rings, surfaces) may be referred to
as first, second, third etc. depending on the order in which the
components are referred to herein and the in claims.
[0068] A method of separating discrete articles from a continuous
web or a continuous web of article is provided. The method may
comprise providing a cutting roll comprising a first axis of
rotation, a first radial outer surface, and a cutting device
extending radially outwardly, relative to the first axis of
rotation, from the first radial outer surface. The method may
comprise providing a bearer ring on the cutting roll that extends
more radially outwardly than the first radial outer surface of the
cutting roll relative to the first axis of rotation. The bearer
ring comprises a second radial outer surface. The method may
comprise providing a bearing member positioned at least partially
intermediate a portion of the cutting roll and the bearer ring. The
bearer ring may be configured to rotate about the first axis of
rotation independent of the cutting roll. The method may comprise
providing an anvil roll comprising a second axis of rotation, a
third radial outer surface, and a plurality of angularly spaced
anvil surfaces on, or extending radially outwardly from, the third
radial outer surface. The method may comprise positioning the anvil
roll and the cutting roll such that the first axis of rotation is
generally parallel to the second axis of rotation, and such that
the second radial outer surface of the bearer ring is in contact
with a portion of the anvil roll. The method may comprise rotating
the anvil roll about the second axis of rotation, using the anvil
roll to drive the bearer ring about the first axis of rotation at a
first speed, and rotating the cutting roll at a second, different
speed about the first axis of rotation independent of the anvil
roll and the bearer ring. The method may comprise conveying the web
intermediate the anvil roll and the cutting roll and separating a
discrete article from the continuous web by cutting the continuous
web intermediate one of the plurality of anvil surfaces and the
cutting device in a separation zone. The plurality of anvil
surfaces may be formed on an anvil surface surrounding a portion of
the anvil roll or surrounding a portion of the third radial outer
surface. Alternatively, the plurality of anvil surfaces may
comprise a plurality of angularly spaced anvil members. These anvil
members may extend radially outwardly, relative to the second axis
of rotation, from the third radial outer surface of the anvil roll.
The bearing member may comprise a plurality of bearings and/or may
comprise a bearing surface. The bearer ring may surround a portion
of the first radial outer surface of the cutting roll.
[0069] The method may comprise providing a second bearer ring
surrounding a portion of the anvil roll. The second bearer ring may
have a fourth radial outer surface. The fourth radial outer surface
of the second bearer ring may be in contact with the second radial
outer surface of the bearer ring on the cutting roll.
[0070] The method may comprise providing at least a second cutting
roll comprising a third axis of rotation, a fourth radial outer
surface, and a second cutting device extending radially outwardly,
relative to the third axis of rotation, from the fourth radial
outer surface. The method may comprise providing a second bearer
ring on the second cutting roll. The second bearer ring may extend
more radially outwardly than the fourth radial outer surface of the
cutting roll. The second bearer ring may comprise a fifth radial
outer surface. The method may comprise providing a second bearing
member positioned at least partially intermediate a portion of the
cutting roll and the second bearer ring. The second bearer ring may
be configured to rotate about the third axis of rotation
independent of second cutting roll. The method may comprise moving
the cutting roll a distance from the anvil roll such that the
cutting roll is not in contact with the anvil roll. The method may
comprises positioning the anvil roll and the second cutting roll
such that the second axis of rotation of the anvil roll is
generally parallel to the third axis of rotation of the second
cutting roll, and such that the fifth radial outer surface of the
second bearer ring is in contact with a portion of the anvil roll.
The method may comprise rotating the anvil roll about the second
axis of rotation and using the anvil roll to drive the second
bearer ring about the third axis of rotation at a third speed. The
method may comprise rotating the second cutting roll at a fourth
speed about the third axis of rotation independent of the anvil
roll and the second bearer ring, conveying a second continuous web
intermediate the anvil roll and the second cutting roll, and
separating a second discrete article from the second continuous web
by cutting the second continuous web intermediate one of the
plurality of anvil surfaces and the second cutting device. The
method may comprise providing a third bearer ring surrounding a
portion of the anvil roll. The third bearer ring may have a sixth
radial outer surface. The sixth radial outer surface of the second
bearer ring may be in contact with the fifth radial outer surface
of the bearer ring on the second cutting roll. The second discrete
article may have a different pitch than the discrete article. The
cutting roll may have a different or the same diameter than the
second cutting roll. The method may comprise rotating the cutting
roll about the first axis of rotation independent of the anvil roll
and the bearer ring at a first, constant angular velocity before
the moving step and rotating the second cutting roll about the
third axis of rotation independent of the anvil roll and the second
bearer ring at a second, different, constant angular velocity after
the moving step.
[0071] The method may comprise providing a first hold down belt on
a first side of the separation zone. The first hold down belt may
be offset in a cross-machine direction from the cutting device. The
method may comprise moving the first hold down belt over a first
portion of the third radial outer surface of the anvil roll and
using the first hold down belt to hold portions of the continuous
web against the first portion of the third radial outer surface.
The method may comprise providing a second hold down belt on a
second side of the separation zone. The second hold down belt may
be offset in a cross-machine direction from the cutting device. The
method may comprise moving the second hold down belt over a second
portion of the third radial outer surface of the anvil roll and
using the second hold down belt to hold portions of the continuous
web against the second portion of the third radial outer surface.
The method may comprise providing a plurality of fluid ports in the
third radial outer surface of the anvil roll and applying a fluid
pressure to at least some of the plurality of fluid ports only in
the separation zone.
[0072] The cutting device may extend radially outwardly, relative
to the first axis of rotation, from the first radial outer surface
of the cutting roll a first distance. The bearer ring on the
cutting roll may extend radially outwardly, relative to the first
axis of rotation, from the first radial outer surface of the
cutting roll a second distance. The first distance may be the same
as or different than the second distance.
[0073] Another method of separating discrete articles from a
continuous web or a continuous web of articles is provided. The
method may comprise providing a cutting roll comprising a first
axis of rotation, a first radial outer surface, and a cutting
device extending radially outwardly, relative to the first axis of
rotation, from the first radial outer surface. The method may
comprise providing an anvil roll comprising a second axis of
rotation, a second radial outer surface, and a plurality of
angularly spaced anvil surfaces on, or extending radially outwardly
from, the second radial outer surface, relative to the second axis
of rotation. The method may comprise providing a fixed first bearer
ring surrounding a portion of the anvil roll or a portion of the
cutting roll. The first fixed bearer ring may have a third radial
outer surface. The method may comprise providing a second bearer
ring surrounding a portion of the anvil roll or a portion of the
cutting roll. The second bearer ring may have a fourth radial outer
surface. The method may comprise providing a bearing member
positioned at least partially intermediate the portion of the anvil
roll or the portion of the cutting roll and the second bearer ring.
The second bearer ring may be configured to rotate about the first
axis of rotation, if on the cutting roll, independent of the
rotation of the cutting roll, and may be configured to rotate about
the second axis of rotation, if on the anvil roll, independent of
the rotation of the anvil roll. The method may comprise positioning
the anvil roll and the cutting roll such that the first axis of
rotation is generally parallel to the second axis of rotation, and
such that the third radial outer surface of the first fixed bearer
ring is in contact with the fourth radial outer surface of the
second bearer ring. The method may comprise rotating the anvil roll
about the second axis of rotation, using the first fixed bearer
ring to drive the second bearing ring, conveying the continuous web
intermediate the anvil roll and the cutting roll, and separating a
discrete article from the continuous web by cutting the continuous
web intermediate one of the plurality of anvil surfaces and the
cutting device in a separation zone.
[0074] The first fixed bearer ring may be flush with or recessed
relative to the first radial outer surface, if on the cutting roll
or the first fixed bearer ring may be flush with or recessed
relative to the second radial outer surface, if on the anvil
roll.
[0075] The second bearer ring may be flush with or recessed
relative to the first radial outer surface, if on the cutting roll
or the second bearer ring may be flush with or recessed relative to
the second radial outer surface, if on the anvil roll.
General Description of an Example Article
[0076] An example article that may be separated from the continuous
web 12, using the separation assembly, is shown in the form of a
pant in FIGS. 13 and 14. FIG. 13 is a front perspective view of a
pant 110. FIG. 14 is a rear perspective view of the pant 110. The
pant 110 may be a child or toddler training pant or an adult
incontinence pant, for example. FIG. 15 is an example plan view of
a pant in a flat, laid-out state with elastic contraction removed
and with side seams separated. In FIG. 15, a garment-facing surface
202 of the absorbent article 10 is facing the viewer. FIG. 16 is a
cross-sectional view of a first belt portion 154 taken about line
16-16 of FIG. 15. FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of a second
belt portion 156 taken about line 17-17 of FIG. 15. The pant 110 of
FIGS. 13-17 is shown for illustration purposes only as the
separation assembly may be used to separate any suitable discrete
articles from a continuous web.
[0077] Referring to FIGS. 13-17, the pant 110 may comprise a front
waist region 112, a crotch region 114, and a back waist region 116.
The crotch region 114 may extend intermediate the front waist
region 112 and the back waist region 116. The pant 110 may comprise
a front end edge 118, a back end edge 120 opposite to the front end
edge 118, a first side edge 122, and a second side edge 124
opposite to the first side edge 122.
[0078] The pant 110 may comprise a liquid permeable topsheet 126, a
liquid impermeable backsheet 128, an absorbent core 130 positioned
at least partially intermediate the topsheet 126 and the backsheet
128. The pant 110 may also comprise one or more pairs of barrier
leg cuffs comprising one or more pairs of leg elastics 134 and one
or more acquisition materials 138. The acquisition material or
materials 138 may be positioned intermediate the topsheet 26 and
the absorbent core 130. As an example, one of the acquisition
materials may comprise a nonwoven material and another of the
acquisition materials may comprise cross-linked cellulosic fibers.
An outer cover material 140 may cover a garment-facing side of the
backsheet 128. The pant 110 may have a lateral axis 148 and a
longitudinal axis 150.
[0079] The pant 110 may have a chassis 152 (sometimes referred to
as a central chassis or central panel) comprising the topsheet 126,
the backsheet 128, and the absorbent core 130 disposed intermediate
the topsheet 126 and the backsheet 128, and one or more of the
optional acquisition materials 138. The pant 110 may comprise a
front or first belt portion 154 in the front or first waist region
112 and a back or second belt portion 156 in the back or second
waist region 116. The chassis 152 may be joined to a wearer-facing
surface of the belt portions 154, 156 or to a garment-facing
surface of the belt portions 154, 156. Side areas of the front belt
portion 154 may be joined to side areas of the back belt portion
156 to form two side seams 158. The sides seams 158 may be any
suitable side seams known to those of skill in the art, such as
butt seams or overlap seams, for example. When the seams 158 are
permanently formed or refastenably closed, the pant 10 has two leg
openings 160 and a waist opening circumference 162. The side seams
158 may be permanently joined using adhesives or bonds, for
example, or may be refastenably closed using hook and loop
fasteners, for example. Referring to FIGS. 15 and 16, the front
belt portion 154 may comprise a first nonwoven material 164 and a
second nonwoven material 166. A plurality of elastic elements 168
(e.g., elastic stands, elastic strips) may be positioned
intermediate the first and second nonwoven materials 164, 166. In
some instances, an elastic film may be used instead of, or in
addition to, the elastic elements 168. The elastic elements 168 or
film may be relaxed (including being cut) to reduce elastic strain
over the absorbent core 130 or may alternatively run continuously
across the absorbent core 130. Referring to FIGS. 15 and 17, the
back belt portion 156 may comprise a first nonwoven material 164
and a second nonwoven material 166. A plurality of elastic elements
168 (e.g., elastic stands, elastic strips) may be positioned
intermediate the first and second nonwoven materials 164, 166. In
some instances, an elastic film may be used instead of, or in
addition to, the elastic elements 168. The elastic elements 168 or
film may be relaxed (including being cut) to reduce elastic strain
over the absorbent core 130 or may alternatively run continuously
across the absorbent core 130. Referring to FIGS. 15-17, the
elastics elements 168 may have uniform or variable elastic element
spacing therebetween in either of the belt portions. The elastic
elements may also be pre-strained the same amount or different
amounts. The first and/or second belt portions 154 and 156 may have
one or more elastic element free zones 170 where the chassis 152
overlaps the belt portions 154, 156. In other instances, at least
some of the elastic elements 168 may extend across the chassis
152.
[0080] The dimensions and values disclosed herein are not to be
understood as being strictly limited to the exact numerical values
recited. Instead, unless otherwise specified, each such dimension
is intended to mean both the recited value and a functionally
equivalent range surrounding that value. For example, a dimension
disclosed as "40 mm" is intended to mean "about 40 mm."
[0081] Every document cited herein, including any cross referenced
or related patent or application, is hereby incorporated herein by
reference in its entirety unless expressly excluded or otherwise
limited. The citation of any document is not an admission that it
is prior art with respect to any embodiment disclosed or claimed
herein or that it alone, or in any combination with any other
reference or references, teaches, suggests or discloses any such
embodiment. Further, to the extent that any meaning or definition
of a term in this document conflicts with any meaning or definition
of the same term in a document incorporated by reference, the
meaning or definition assigned to that term in this document shall
govern.
[0082] While particular embodiments of the present disclosure have
been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those
skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications may
be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present
disclosure. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended
claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope
of this disclosure.
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